


Priorities

by honestgrins



Series: Bingo! [15]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, klaroween, klaroween bingo, post-apocalypse au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 12:03:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: Some people lose all sense of what's important when the world ends. Caroline wants to make sure they still enjoy the small comforts, while Klaus would prefer she stay inside where it's safe. (For Klaroween Bingo: "Shh, candy now, world-ending problems later")





	Priorities

"I should not have let you talk me into this plan, Gorgeous."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline shifted the heavy pack to sit more evenly across her shoulders. "To be fair, you invited yourself," she pointed out before snatching the rifle from his hands. "Now, put that away. We won't make it to the wall with you flashing that." Honestly, she would sneak into the outpost if she could manage it, but security protocols were on high alert since the last strangers to arrive brought a flu that claimed lives and precious medical resources.

Post-apocalyptic wastelands weren't much fun after the rations started depleting.

It had all happened so fast, and some days Caroline still struggled to process life as it had become since the end of the world. Barely into her second century, cataclysmic weather events coincided to kill two-thirds of the global population. Oddly enough, it was the vampires who saved what remained of humanity, sprinkled among fortified communities that appeared few and far between. The older set would swear it was only practical to preserve a reliable food source, but she knew there was a tender spot for the fleeting lives they once lived tucked deep, _deep_ inside their hearts.

Except for Kol - he was pretty blunt when it came to his one and only use for humans.

Luckily for them, he was the one who happened to be on duty for the night, more likely to be entertained by their exploits than annoyed. He walked along the ridge of the wall while toying with his own rifle, and Enzo raised a wave as they approached the gate. "Don't shoot, mate! Gorgeous here will probably enjoy punishing you for spilling good blood."

"Mmm, her and me both," Kol teased, his diligent eyes scanning the tree line for any stragglers that might have followed them. "But for once, I don't think it's Caroline I'd be afraid of tonight."

The gate slowly lowered for them to enter the outpost, Enzo looking far too skittish. "Thanks for the adventure, but I think I'll leave the spoils to you," he said as he threw his loaded bags into her arms. He graciously ignored her glower as he clapped a hand on her back. "Don't let him kill me for too long. I've only just convinced Rebekah I'm worth keeping around, I'd hate for her to forget my glittering personality while I rot away somewhere."

"He's not going-" The hair on the back of her neck stood on end with awareness as she felt a presence behind, focused solely on her. Age had only improved her senses, and she could sense the bitter anger radiating from him. "Never mind," she told Enzo, who flashed away without a second thought. It was difficult to maintain an air of offended detachment while juggling two large totes stuffed to bursting, but Caroline felt she managed it when she finally turned to Klaus. "You could help, you know."

He took a moment to answer, the cool flash of gold in his eyes betraying the depth of his rage. "I woke up and you were gone, Caroline."

Shrugging, Caroline brushed past him to make her way toward the abandoned shopping mall they all called home. Leave it to the Original Hybrid to be paranoid enough to prepare for the apocalypse and build a literal bunker in the Midwest. He also had a private island and a safehouse cut deep into a mountain, but the weather issues had made access a problem - if they even still existed. She had been more than a little outraged when he showed up at her door after the first earthquake, barking about taking precautions and moving quickly before more disasters could strike.

Well, she'd actually appreciated the forethought for him to not only make sure she made his list of people to save, but also to collect her personally. What she hadn't liked was his reluctance to letting Enzo tag along with her to safety. It was just the first of many disagreements on their road to sharing one of the refitted apartments in what used to be a department store. Klaus was a controlling, stubborn son of a bitch on his best day - but, damn it, he was hers.

She wasn't feeling particularly warm about that thought as he trailed after her. Their walk through the mall was frustratingly silent, mindful of the late hour as they passed the human quarters. Numbers had remained steady for the most part, but Elijah had made a case to actively recruit from other compounds to fill the empty wing closest to the Original suites. Klaus was resistant while Caroline looked forward to the prospect of an excursion, or any excuse to leave the grounds.

It was becoming a bit of a habit, one that apparently kept Klaus on edge if the slight sheen of relief in his expression meant anything.

By the time she dropped the bags onto their bed, then, Caroline almost felt bad about it. But, to be fair, she had a good reason. "Elijah showed me some maps of the surrounding area, planning for the journey south." Texas was apparently the home of many a doomsday bunker, and he hoped to approach several throughout his trip. "I noticed an old factory not too far from home, so I asked Enzo to investigate with me."

Klaus softened at her mention of home, his hands flexing as though they wanted to reach for her. "It's not safe out there, my love. We don't know who or what survived, and the outpost makes a valuable target for those who might need our resources."

Frowning, she opened the bags, candy flooding out to cover the bed. "If there are rival factions out there scrounging, they missed the best stash of sweets that was just sitting in storage at that factory." He sat in her reading chair with a weary sigh, allowing her a moment to gloat. "Think of what a win this will be for everyone. As silly as it sounds, this candy can help bring a little bit of normal life back to the compound. To me, that's worth whatever dangers might arise. And I've spent five years cooped up in here, Klaus. For someone who once promised me the world, you're pretty stingy with letting me explore it."

"I-"

"Shh," Caroline hushed, her index finger pressed to her lips in admonishment. She plucked a wrapped sweet from the bed and held it toward him as a peace offering. "Candy now, world-ending problems later."

"Sweetheart." His head fell into his hands, knee bouncing with the barely restrained urge to stand. "I don't want to argue with you anymore."

Gasping, she clutched at the shirt over her heart with exaggerated surprise. "You used to love arguing with me."

His fists clenched until his knuckles paled to a bloodless white. "Very funny, Caroline," he bit out, his tone and the use of her name alarming, "but your safety is not a joke. Not to me, not ever."

The fight drained from her in an instant, and her posture slumped in defeat. She dropped the candy, moving instead to slip into his lap and thread her arms around his neck. A hundred more excuses and defenses ran through her mind, but they weren't worth the tight line of tension in his jaw. "I didn't realize this stressed you out so much."

Klaus forced a smile as his hands spread across her waist, one finger stroking the skin beneath her t-shirt without thinking. "You keep leaving the outpost, of course, I'm going to worry. What do you think I'll do if one day, you don't come back?"

"Okay, no need to get dramatic with the implied murder. I get that you're the big, bad wolf who's only playing nice with the humans for my benefit."

His eyes rolled up, probably searching for some deity to grant him patience. "Do you know why I built this place?"

"That's a trick question right?"

A laugh huffed from deep in his chest, and the gaze that finally met hers was warm with affection. "I wanted to make sure my family could survive whatever the ages might bring. Blood meant humans, which meant some form of enduring social fabric. True, it's a bit kinder since you entered my plans, but I have no intention of starving anytime soon."

Caroline hung on his words, confused when he didn't seem to finish the point. "So, you're not going to kill the humans if I leave. And?"

Resting his hand on her neck, Klaus kissed her softly. "It's hard to ensure my family survives if I don't have everyone here."

"Oh," she breathed. Her eyelashes fluttered at the unexpected declaration. "I'm your f-"

"You're mine." Klaus's thumb lightly pressed on her throat, smirking at the hard swallow she didn't bother to hide. "And I worry."

She knew, of course, it was hard to miss the possessive streak a mile wide. But for him to say it, out loud, for her to explicitly hear and understand - it was big. Still, she didn't want to let him guilt into staying put; she liked the adventure that lay beyond, unknown. "Compromise," she finally said, her eyes alight with a new idea. "Come with me next time. You can be my partner in crime, I'll leave Enzo behind. Rebekah gets pissed that I steal him anyway."

His smirk grew. "Was that so hard?"

"Well," Caroline chided, "if you would use your words and tell me why you're upset, then this all could have been avoided. And you would have totally carried more candy. Enzo was a wimp."

Chuckling, Klaus lifted her from his lap and stood. He dropped her near the top of the bed, sweeping most of the candy and the other bags off the covers. "Perhaps we can go back and see what else that factory might have," he said as he laid down with her, lips dragging across her cheek.

Caroline nodded as she pulled him closer, biting his ear when he pressed her into the bed. "Later," she promised eagerly. "Much later."


End file.
